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<title>can i breathe for just one second, baby? by babychocolat</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23769745">can i breathe for just one second, baby?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/babychocolat/pseuds/babychocolat'>babychocolat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>SEVENTEEN (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Established Relationship, F/M, Living Together, jeon wonwoo x you, the toxic glorification of working overtime</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 19:02:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,265</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23769745</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/babychocolat/pseuds/babychocolat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Your boyfriend Wonwoo just got home from work. Which is great, except you had to find out through a phone call from his officemate.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jeon Wonwoo/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>91</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>can i breathe for just one second, baby?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You were awakened by the sound of your phone vibrating. Squinting at the digital clock on the bedside table tells you it’s two in the morning-- way too early for your alarm to be going off. When the vibrating doesn’t stop you realize it was a phone call.</p><p>“Soonyoung, hi,” you say when the call connects. “What’s going on? Do you need anything?” </p><p>Wonwoo’s best friend sounded relieved. “Hey, sorry to be calling this late. I just wanted to check if Wonwoo got back okay. We left the office kind of late…” The two friends worked in the same advertising agency; Soonyoung in marketing, Wonwoo in website development.</p><p>You glance at the other side of the bed, your heart sinking upon finding it made and empty. On the dresser, however, was Wonwoo’s watch. His messenger bag was on the corner chair, along with the coat he wore this morning.</p><p>“He’s home,” you answer, hoping he wouldn’t pick up on her disappointment. “Thanks for checking up on him, Soonyoung.”</p><p>“Okay, that’s good. Aysh, he was never really good with the whole ‘checking in with people so they don’t die of worry’ thing.” He jokes, then his voice gets softer. “Listen, I’m sorry this project is taking so long,” referring to the one he and Wonwoo have been putting extra hours for the past few weeks. “It’s a pretty big account and well, you know how it is.” </p><p>You could almost hear his eyes roll. “I get it, there’s no need to apologize to me. Besides,” You let out a slow exhale. “It’s gonna be done soon, right?” </p><p>“I sure hope so,” Soonyoung answers before apologizing if he had awakened you two (you don't bother correcting him) and hanging up. </p><p>You look back at the other side of the bed, cold and still made. If Wonwoo was already home, why was he not in bed? </p><p>Bedroom slippers on, you get up to check around the 2-bedroom apartment you shared with your boyfriend, Jeon Wonwoo.  The space was a little over your budget but the two of you were homebodies; you figured you’d be staying in 80 percent of the time anyway so it was worth the splurge. Nothing excessive, but spacious enough for your books, games, and random dance parties in the living room. It was nice and cozy and yours.</p><p>You scan the living room and the kitchen, and aside from Wonwoo’s used mug on the kitchen table (he always seemed to forget to bring it to the sink), there was no sign of him. Which meant he could only be in one other place--</p><p>Sure enough, the sound of a keyboard clicking was coming from inside the study. It was a no brainer, turning the second bedroom into a shared workspace slash library where you’d occasionally work together-- Wonwoo on his designs, you on your freelance writing work.</p><p>Opening the door softly, you find Wonwoo hunched over his Mac, too focused on his monitor to notice the intrusion.  You take note of the slight clench of his jaw, his eyes focused but weary,  showing tiredness that even his glasses couldn’t hide. Wonwoo wasn't a workaholic by the classic definition but he tended to develop tunnel vision when he wanted to excel at something. This was one such case.</p><p>You walk over to his chair before speaking up. “Hey, have you been home long?”</p><p>Wonwoo snuck a glance at you before returning his attention to the screen. “Mmm, maybe an hour, I’m not sure.” A pause, click, click. “Why are you awake?” </p><p>“Checked to see if my boyfriend was alive because,” You perch on the edge of his desk, partially blocking his monitor. “If his best friend hadn’t called, I wouldn’t have even known he was home.” </p><p>Finally, he looks at you. “Ah, I’m sorry about that. I figured out how to fix this tricky page on the ride home and I thought I’d keep working on it so I don’t forget-- hold on, let me just save this-- there.” The screen goes black, and his gaze fixes on you.</p><p>You take his hand in yours, intertwining your fingers. Squeezing, just relishing the contact you didn’t realize she missed in the weeks he’d been so busy. You give his hands a brief tug. “How are you doing?”</p><p>A rough exhale escapes Wonwoo before he answers. “It’s a pretty interesting project. Some of the requirements are new to me but nothing I can’t study. In fact, we’re ahead of schedule--”</p><p>“Wonwoo,” you interrupt. “I didn’t ask for a project update.” You scoot closer to him, letting go of his hands to drape your arms around his neck. “This is just me. And I know you’re going to say you’re fine and maybe you’re doing well because, well, you’re amazing at what you do but--” Your fingers move to massage his neck. “How are you really doing?”</p><p>Wonwoo finds himself slowly relaxing into the soft pressure of your fingers. Briefly, he contemplated not saying anything; complaining was like an admission of weakness. But he remembers: this is her, this is okay, this is safe.</p><p>“I like the challenge but god, this project is testing me. The client is very demanding and I keep thinking, this is what he’s paying us for. But everything needs to be perfect and fast at the same time and fuck, it’s exhausting.”</p><p>He wraps his arms around your waist and buries his face into your stomach. Taking in your scent, he picks up the familiar scent of the lavender fabric conditioner you both used and her favorite green tea body wash. He pulls even closer, as if your smell, your warmth, your touch, could make his worries go away. And maybe at that moment, it does. </p><p>The next moments were spent like this, silent and still. You occasionally shifting your hands to gently rub his scalp, the back of his neck, and massage the top of his back. Gradually the knots come undone and Wonwoo’s breathing slows down. </p><p>Finally, he looks up at you breaking into a soft, sleepy smile. “Thank you.”</p><p>You look down at him, cupping his cheek. “Feeling better?” </p><p>Wonwoo scrunches his nose playfully, nuzzling his cheek onto your hand. “Maybe a little.”</p><p>This earns him an eyeroll from you. “And just how are we going to--”</p><p>Next thing you knew you were off her feet and sitting awkwardly on his lap. Wonwoo laughed as you try to adjust, swinging your legs over one side of his work chair. You huff but snuggle closer anyway. </p><p>“Were you upset?” Wonwoo asked suddenly. “That I was working all the time?”</p><p>This was the part where you wanted to play it cool. Being woken up with a hurried kiss good morning that also meant it was time for him to leave? It was fine. Ten-minute phone calls during his break? Totally cool, like the many dinners you ate hurriedly because you secretly hated eating alone. You weren’t some needy woman starved for affection.</p><p>But now, whatever facade of strength you had built up slowly crumbled the longer you stayed in his arms.</p><p>“I really missed you.” It was so soft that Wonwoo barely heard it. </p><p>A sad, contrite smile ghosts his lips before he presses them to your forehead. “I’m here now.”</p><p>A kiss on the tip of your nose, then your cheek before he finally comes home to the soft taste of your lips. It starts off slow and tentative, a reacquaintance. And when you pull him closer to deepen the kiss, it was like the universe giving him everything he needed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This was something I wrote for Wonwoo's birthday last year but only got to finish much later. Can't believe it took a Jeon Wonwoo for me to end my writing slump. SIGH.</p><p>Title is from Sabrina Carpenter's 'Exhale'.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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